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Luke (given name)

{{redirect|Luke (name)|the surname|Luke (surname)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox given name

| name = Luke

| image = Donation Ballabio Bloemaert.jpg

| caption = Image of Luke the Evangelist by Abraham Bloemaert

| pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|l|uː|k}}

| gender = Masculine

| meaning = "Light"

| region =

| origin = Latin

| name day = 18 October

| related names =

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| footnotes =

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Luke {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|k}} is a male given name, and less commonly, a surname.

The name Luke is the English form and the diminutive of the Latin name {{lang|la|Lucas}}. It is derived from the Latin name Lucius, and it either means "the bright one" or "the one born at dawn,"{{cite book|last1=Mills|first1=Watson E.|title=Mercer Dictionary of the Bible|date=1990|publisher=Mercer University Press|location=Macon, Ga.|isbn=0-86554-373-9|pages=529|edition=paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC&q=luke}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC&q=Lucius Mills, Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (1990), p. 247-248]. or "the great Lucius." It could also be a shortened form of the Latin name. Lucius likely derives from Latin word {{lang|la|lux}} (gen. {{lang|la|lucis}}), meaning "light" (<PIE *leuk-, "brightness"), related to the Latin verb {{lang|la|lucere}} ("to shine"). Another proposed etymology is derivation from Etruscan Lauchum (or Lauchme) meaning "king," which was more directly transferred into Latin as {{lang|la|Lucumo}}.Bonfante G., Bonfante L. (1983). Etruscan language: an introduction. NY, 1983. P. 59 The frequently-stated translation of {{lang|grc|Λουκᾶς}} as "man from Lucania" does not appear supported by reliable sources.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

The best-known historical use of the name is in the Gospel of Luke, written around 70 to 90 AD. Luke the Evangelist, who is credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Luke, was a physician who lived around 30 to 130 AD. Luke is also credited with the Book of Acts in the Bible, and also is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in some of Paul's letters to first-century churches.

The name is sometimes used as a nickname for Luther.

Popularity

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|+Popularity of the name Luke in the United States{{cite web|url=http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/|title=Popular Baby Names|work=ssa.gov}}

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Fictional characters

See also

References

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External links

  • [https://www.behindthename.com/name/luke Luke name]

{{given name}}

Category:English masculine given names

Category:Masculine given names

Category:Given names of Greek language origin

Category:Latin masculine given names